


He Was A Skater Boy...

by reidology (maythe4thbewithyou)



Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: Anxious Nerd! Spencer, First Kiss, First Meetings, Getting Together, Happy Ending, M/M, Meet-Cute, Mutual Pining, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, SMUT!!, Skateboarding and hand holding, Skater! Aaron, Slow Burn, Strangers to Lovers, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, and tutoring lessons!!!, cute skateboard lessons, we all know how 'tutoring' goes...
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-04
Updated: 2020-11-07
Packaged: 2021-03-05 19:20:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 14,733
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25710505
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/maythe4thbewithyou/pseuds/reidology
Summary: The one where Aaron Hotchner is a badboy skater and Spencer is an anxious mess, but somehow they fall in love.Title from Sk8er Boi by Avril Lavigne.
Relationships: Aaron Hotchner/Spencer Reid
Comments: 163
Kudos: 249





	1. Ray Bradbury now. Cute boys later.

Spencer Reid is lonely. 

It’s not that he has no friends, because he does. He has his study group every other Saturday, where they meet for lunch and discuss their lectures and assignments. Spencer spends most of the meal answering his peers’ questions, but he has a good time, he enjoys himself. Then, every Wednesday night he goes over to Gideon’s cabin and they play chess. They also talk about things, like how his mother is doing and what new agencies are trying to recruit him, and each time he tells Gideon that he can’t accept any offers because he  _ has _ to take care of his mother. 

So, maybe he doesn’t have friends. He’s  _ friendly _ with his peers, and Gideon is more of a mentor and father-figure than a friend. The reason Spencer Reid is lonely is because he is terrified of rejection. Why let anyone in when he’ll inevitably let them down? Everyone gets sick of him eventually, his rambling and lack of eye contact make people’s blood boil, Spencer knows this. The only people who don’t seem to mind are his mother and Gideon, but his mother is delusional most of the time and Gideon uses his excessive knowledge as a tool. 

This is what he told his therapist when he sank down into the impossibly soft purple velvet armchair of her office. Penelope’s office was odd to say the least. Definitely not the typical white walls, single bookshelf, and sad looking houseplant in the corner type office. No, Penelope’s office was more of a little girl’s geek fantasy bedroom, with hot pink wallpaper trimmed with cats playing in yarn. Her desk was adorned with inexplicable knick-knacks; little figurines, fuzzy creatures, snow globes, and lots of colorful glitter gel pens. The bookshelves, in addition to the expected psychology reads, were a deluge of sci-fi novels, fantasy adventure books, graphic novels and comics, and even more figurines. Honestly, it was kind of like heaven. If Spencer died in here, he’d go peacefully. But his favorite part, his absolute favorite aspect of his therapist’s office, was the armchair. The softest, most comfortable piece of furniture he’d ever experienced. He could sink into it and feel safe, and to top it all off, it always had his favorite stuffed animal on it- a purple octopus monster he’d made as a kid that Penelope let him keep here, in his safe space. He kind of loved Penelope, too, in a professional way of course.

He squished his octopus to his chest as she explained to him, “Oh honey, I think it’s time you start making more connections in your life. I’ve known you for a while now so believe me when I tell you that you are  _ not  _ a pain or a burden to  _ anyone _ . Your company is a privilege, young man, and your ramblings and tangents are delightful, they are a wonderful part of you. Don’t let your self-doubt eat you up.”

“It isn’t self-doubt if other people think it,too,” grumbled the boy. At this point, completely dissolved into the fabric of the armchair.

Penelope shot Spencer a half-assed glare, “What’s the rule about self-deprecation, Spence? I know you remember, boy genius.”

He sighed, “I have to follow up with a positive thought…” 

Penelope nodded and looked at Spencer expectantly, who avoided eye contact. He hated this part, he never knows what to say.

He shrugged and looked down at his homemade plushie, “I can’t think of anything.”

“Oh, Doctor Reid…” Penelope sighed, quite dramatically if Spencer may point out, and wrote something in her bright green notebook, “I am assigning you a project. Instead of spending all your time at home, go outside. Spend some time outside and find an active hobby. We’re gonna get you used to being out in the beautiful fresh open air and then we’ll focus on making new meaningful connections. Kay?”

She ripped the page out of her notebook and handed it to the sulking man in her armchair. He took it vehemently and sighed when he saw the note, 

  * _Get out of the house._


  * Find an active hobby. No books!! 



“...’Kay.”

* * *

Spencer figured that this assignment was open to interpretation, right? He’d go outside, to the nearby skatepark, and study there. The ‘active’ part is that he’d be walking there, and he totally loved walking, it was his new hobby, so he could check that off the list. He'd go to the skatepark in the evening when there were less people around, and he’d study there. There’s no way he could give up books, they’re _books_ , they can’t be replaced with menial things like ‘ _activities_ ’. It was a perfect plan, and he could tell Penelope that he completed the assignment while still reading and studying, which is was he _really_ enjoyed.

So the next Saturday evening he found himself packing up his notes and books from his desk into his brown leather satchel and calling one of the home nurses to stay with his mother while he went out. It wasn’t cold outside, it was summer after all, but Spencer decided not to change out of purple button-up and navy sweater vest. He would cool down soon enough since it was almost sunset. He kissed his mother goodbye, he stepped out into the street to begin the grueling trek to the skatepark, four blocks away.

Upon arrival, Spencer notices two things: One, the park was empty except for one kid and her dad ( _ hell yeah) _ , and Two, every surface was covered in art. Not just effortless graffiti and spray-painted tags, but actual  _ art _ . Murals, poetry, landscapes, not a single surface was left untouched. Walking up to the center bowl of the skatepark, Spencer stood in awe at the ground he was looking at. The entire bowl was decorated in stars, planets, galaxies, and nebulae. It felt like floating in outer space, he could only imagine how the skaters felt rolling up and down this obstacle course, it must be so liberating. A cool breeze passes through and makes him look back up, the father and daughter were gone. It was just him and his  _ Simone De Beauvoir _ reading. He sat down on the edge of the universe, legs dangling into the abyss, and lost his mind in the world of existentialism.  _ This feels really nice, _ he thought,  _ I might actually do this again. _

* * *

Spencer didn't have to see Penelope until the following Friday, so he had kept himself busy. But now it was Wednesday and Gideon cancelled their weekly dinner at the cabin, citing he was _ “working on a case and wouldn’t be back for a few days” _ . Not that he would ever tell Gideon this, but he felt kind of hurt that Gideon didn’t bother to tell him he re-joined the BAU. It seemed like a big deal. Either way, it didn’t matter. Spencer was now free for the evening and since the nurse usually came around every Wednesday night anyway, he figured why not go to the skatepark again? He packed his favorite book into his satchel and went on his merry way.

As he walked through the gates of the park he noticed a group of people not much older than him hanging around the area he sat at last Saturday. Now, at the ripe and experienced age of nineteen, Spencer Reid knew he shouldn’t be afraid of a small group of strangers that haven’t even noticed him. However, anxiety ran through his veins so naturally that it was by pure instinct that our young man pointedly avoided eye contact and walked an elliptical trail around them towards the tall halfpipe.

The halfpipe was connected to the bowl, but it was high enough that it oversaw the entire skatepark. Spencer climbed up to the top of the it, satchel hanging off his frame, and settled onto the platform. Quickly, he realized that he didn’t want to be standing up on this thing, so he sat on the ledge and dangled his legs off the edge just like last time. _If I fall…_ _I’ll be fine, right? It’s just like a slide, dudes fall on here all the time…_ he thought, _Yeah but they have helmets..._ He looked back towards the group of friends hanging around the edge of the bowl, from this height, looking down made him feel like an astronaut. From this height, he could see the sunset give off a plethora of different colors, illuminating his face in pastel lights. From this height, he could also look at those people without being too obvious. _They don’t all have helmets…_ he noticed, _One of them doesn’t even have shoes on…_ Spencer recalls one article he had read about the rate of bike accident deaths and figured skateboarding accident stats couldn’t be much different. Especially when you look at the correlation between the severity of injuries and the amount of protective gear worn. It was clear to him that no helmet = bad, so following that logic, no helmet + no shoes was _worse_. 

Spencer hadn’t realized he was staring at the man with no shoes until the guy looked up at him with a blank expression. For half a millisecond, Spencer took in the guy’s face, the short brown hair parted in the middle, flopping down onto his forehead, his sculpted cheekbones, whiskey eyes, and serious pout.  _ Wow, he’s kind of gorgeous, is he wearing long sleeves under a baggy shirt? Why is that so attractive? _ It was only when said serious pout turned into an amused smirk that Spencer remembered to feel embarrassed, the familiar hot rush of blood running to his face. He looked away quickly, took his book out, and buried his head into it, ineffectively hiding his blush. Damn his face was on  _ fire _ …  _ Guy-with-no-shoes looks pretty fire,  _ he thought to himself,  _ Fuck shut up, Spencer! Ray Bradbury now. Cute boys later. _


	2. Something Wicked This Way Comes...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Spencer and Aaron finally meet and they make a deal.
> 
> Oh how the cherry blossoms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hii!! I'm Tim, I'm 19, and I write now, so enjoy this chapter!

It was safe to say that reading at the skatepark was now part of Spencer’s routine. Most evenings he would get to the park and read his assigned philosophy readings on top of the halfpipe, then move on to his own books. When it became too dark, he would stop reading and watch the magnificent sunset. It never got old. Here he felt relaxed. Finally, Spencer had found a safe space other than his therapist’s office. Indeed, this place belonged only to  _ him.  _

That was until one evening, when his new-found comfortable routine was wonderfully disrupted by the hottest guy he’d ever seen.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Spencer’s nose was floating around the depths of a wonderous world of murder and mystery fabricated by Sir Arthur Conan-Doyle when  _ it _ happened. The sun was setting, casting strange shadows around the park, he hadn’t noticed a particular large silhouette rolling his way. Not until he heard the sound of wheels barreling toward his serene perch did he look up, and  _ oh he wished he hadn’t _ , because when he looked up he came face to face with none other than the guy-with-no-shoes from days earlier. 

He stood on top of the opposite halfpipe, jumped down on his board and came towards Spencer. But when he got to him he didn’t stop, simply rolled back to the other side and did quite an impressive turn-flip-trick where he spun and brought the board to his hand.  _ Is he trying to impress me? Because it’s working,  _ thought Spencer. The dude landed with a flourish right next to him. Spencer looked up half in shock and half in awe (because that was pretty hot). He couldn’t stop looking at his face, it was so angular and gorgeous and the light framed his face perfectly, his dark hair falling into his eyes. The definition of tall, brooding, and handsome. He died a little when the guy nodded down at him and spoke, “Sup, do you like ice cream?”

His voice was  _ so deep _ . That and the fact that he was towering over him was too much for his little genius brain compute. Quantum theory he could handle, helplessly attractive men brought his IQ down into the negatives. 

And how could anyone expect him to be coherent when the guy looked like  _ that _ , and not just his face but… everything, from the slope of his shoulders, to the curves of his triceps, to the way his lean frame dipped into very delicious-looking calves, and finally those infamous socked feet, still shoeless. It was when Spencer had been eyeing this handsome stranger’s feet for a good ten seconds that he realized he’d been asked a question.

“Uhmm.. pardon?” Casual. Polite. Was he in this guy’s way or something?

The man chuckled sickly sweet and gave a devilish smirk, “I asked if you like ice cream?” And he lifted his hand, wherein he held a cone of what seemed to be chocolate ice cream. How had Spencer not noticed that unfairly-hot-guy-with-no-shoes was holding ice cream? Did he skate up here with that? Did he do those tricks without dropping the cone?

Either way, Spencer did not know how to respond. He was feeling very confused, amongst other things...

“Uhh… I- sure…?”

The guy grinned and sat down next to Spencer, skateboard on his lap, and handed him the cone. Spencer hesitantly reached and took it, eyeing it suspiciously.

“Hi, I’m Aaron. I’ve been watching you”, 

“Oh?” Spencer immediately blushes at the thought of this stupidly attractive man,  _ Aaron _ , taking notice of him. And even though Aaron had already shown the classic signs of a Dangerous Situation™ (giving him ice cream and watching him), Spencer couldn’t help but be absolutely smitten. 

“Yeah, you’re always reading,” he nodded at the open book in Spencer’s lap, “what are you doing here?”

What was he doing here? “I- uhmm..” What was he supposed to say?  _ Fuck it _ , “My therapist wants me to get out of the house and find a hobby.”  _ Way to sound normal, you really hyped yourself up there, idiot.  _

“So you chose skateboarding?”

“What? No…I’m just studying here instead of at home. And when I finish my work I read my own books.” 

Spencer could feel Aaron’s intense gaze boring into his face, he was beginning to notice that Aaron’s natural expression was a perfect dark,  _ (sexy) _ , serious pout. 

Aaron broke his attention from Spencer’s face and glanced beyond the boy’s lap to the satchel overflowing with books, “... you read all of those in one day?”

“Uh… actually I read all of those in an hour.”

Aaron blinked a few times.

“Really? You must be… I mean, how do you do that?”

He was sure he was going to say ‘you must be a loser’ but he tried not to think about that. So far, Aaron had been nice to him.

“Um, I don’t know. I have an eidetic memory and read a lot as a child, so I guess my baby brain just learned to process words quicker than others.”

“How quickly?”

“20,000 words per minute.”

Aaron raised his eyebrows in interest, still giving that smoldering stare. He was so very intrigued by this strange, skinny, adorable kid. From the moment he saw him hunched over, reading, engulfed in his own world, Aaron had been fascinated. And when their eyes met that fateful evening, all he could think of was  **_I need to know him_ ** _. _

“So what are you studying for?” 

“Right now I’m going for a BA in Philosophy.” 

“Oh? I wouldn’t have pegged you as the  _ philosphe  _ type _ ,  _ smart guy like you ought to be a scientist or something,” Aaron chuckled. 

That laugh would be the death of him. It was so deep and sultry, Spencer felt like burying himself in it.

Sheepishly, Spencer corrected him, “Actually, I have two PhDs in Mathematics and Chemistry. I wanted to begin an engineering PhD this summer but my mother got sick and I had to take care of her, so I figured a Bachelor’s in Philosophy wouldn’t take up too much of my time.”

Aaron gawked at him and made no attempt to hide it.

“How old are you?” 

“Nineteen.” 

“Damn. Well, here we are, a 19 year old genius and 21 year old law school burnout. Funny we’d end up in the same place at the same time.’’

The pink-orange-purple of the sky seemed to give Spencer a boost of confidence, 

“Weren’t you stalking me? That’s not much of a coincidence,” he teased.

“I wasn’t stalking you, I said I was  _ watching  _ you. There’s a difference.” 

“What’s the difference?”

“I came to say hi.” Aarons eyes glistened.

Spencer couldn’t help the tinge of pink on his cheeks and the small smile he gave. Aaron  _ came to say hi. _ For a while they sat in silence, both considering what to say next. The older man opened his mouth to say something but Spencer took charge.

“You’re a law student? Do you go to Georgetown?”

Aaron nodded, “First year at Georgetown, did pre-law at Columbia.”

“Wow, those are good schools! I’m surprised you’re failing!”

“Yeah, Georgetown’s a lot more than I was expecting. Nothing  _ you _ couldn’t handle I’m sure, Mr. Philosophy-Bachelor’s-For-Fun.”

Spencer laughed a genuine laugh, he didn’t answer though, because Aaron was right, he’d totally crush it in law school.

“You go to Georgetown, too? How come I haven’t seen you around campus? The Law Center isn’t that far from the Philosophy Department.”

“Well I don’t live on campus, I’m with my mom. And most of my classes are early morning, my therapist said that would be a good way of starting the day but really all it did for me was give me an unhealthy coffee dependency.”

Aaron actually laughed brightly at that.

“So, you’re going to tell your therapist you took up skateboarding when in reality you’ve just been reading  _ in  _ a skatepark?”

Spencer nodded bashfully.

“What are you going to do when she asks to see it?”

“I… I don’t know…”

“Well, it seems we’re both in a bit of a predicament, huh? What do you say we help each other out?”

“How do you mean?”

Aaron smirked that same wicked smirk from the first night they saw each other leaned in, “I’ll teach you to skateboard… if…”, he bit his lip and looked into the younger boy’s eyes, “you help me pass Midterms.”

Spencer couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Aaron leaned in impossibly closer and asked, “What’s your name?” 

“Spencer.”

“Spencer,” He said deliciously, “do we have a deal?”

Aaron’s gaze was so intense but he couldn’t look away. His eyes were a deep, rich, coffee color with glistening flecks of green and they did not falter. This close, Spencer could see the few light scattered freckles feathering his nose and cheeks. And he was still biting his lip, Spencer stared and didn’t care. The breathtaking man in front of him was really offering to spend more time with him, how could he say no? Penelope would be so proud to find out he just had a conversation with a stranger and he was going to  _ see _ him again. 

“Deal.” 

Aaron grinned maniacally, “Sweet.” 

They sat just smiling at each other for a little bit, then Spencer asked, “By the way, why don’t you wear shoes?”

Aaron shrugged, smirked and brought his lips close to Spencer’s ear, “I like to  _ feel _ the board,” he whispered.

Spencer was a goner. The ice cream had melted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you guys think about this chapter? Do I use their names too much? Is it too repetitive? There is a LOT of dialogue here which is not in my comfort zone, ngl I had some trouble figuring this one out, but I'm pretty happy with how it turned out :) 
> 
> And who else is a mess for charming badboy Hotch? raise your hand and DON'T lie!
> 
> So *please* leave your feedback or even just a thumbs up (or thumbs down) emoji to let me know you liked it! And also leave a kudos if you want another chapter! 
> 
> You can find me @lamythologie on tumblr if you have any questions, prompts/headcanons are HIGHLY ENCOURAGED <3


	3. At midnight, in the month of June, I stand beneath the mystic moon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In this chapter Aaron finally makes CONTACT and Spencer's soul ascends to the heavens and back. (touchy-touchy skatey-skatey)
> 
> Title from 'The Sleeper' by Edgar Allan Poe because I am a Goth Boy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm sorry in advance this is shittily written, my mind is blank and i am very sad so bear with me as i recover from ThingsTM.
> 
> i'm drawing a lot of inspiration from Greg of Dharma and Greg for Hotch so... watch that bc he is a softe cozy cuddly snacc in that show. 
> 
> Also i am dumb and cannot for the life of me write Genius Spencer i just cant channel those vibes, fun fact: I, Tim, Yours truly, dropped out of high school in 2018 haha can you tell?

The next day, Spencer debated going to the skatepark. Yes, it was his usual routine, but would Aaron be there? Was Aaron expecting him? Should he wait for him to text? Aaron had his number, he had not-so-subtly asked Spencer for it before skating off into the night. When he saw Spencer’s little Nokia, he had laughed. _You’re really something else, man,_ he had chuckled. So Aaron had his number, but he didn’t have Aaron’s. Maybe he was never going to text, maybe it was all a joke. Aaron was just bored and thought he’d pass the time by talking to the weird loner kid. Classic, he should’ve known those glistening mischievous eyes were… well… _mischievous_.

Spencer wasn’t about to spend one more second thinking about last night. Why shouldn’t he continue his routine? It was the one thing that grounded him. So to the skatepark he went. 

It was about 7 pm, the sun was slowly reaching the skyline and Spencer had been reading for about an hour and a half, sitting in his usual spot atop the halfpipe. He’d gotten through Immanuel Kant and was in the middle of rereading the Canterbury Tales when a shadow blocked his view of the page and a socked toe prodded at the book. He looked up to see his ~~knight-in-shining-armor~~ deceitful friend Aaron smiling down at him like a goof, skateboard held behind one shoulder. 

“Hey watcha reading?” There goes all of Spencer’s self-control, how had he forgotten the effects of that deep molasses voice? He looked up at him in wonder and responded, “You’re here…?”

“I was going to text you but figured I’d check if you were here first,” Aaron sounded sheepish, “I was hoping you’d be here.”

Of course Aaron came, he was _kind_. Spencer inwardly cursed himself for having such a self-deprecating imagination, he was still working on that with Penelope. He just blushed and looked down, Aaron’s eyes were too intense again. 

Aaron piped up again, “I don’t mean to disturb your freakishly quick reading, Dr. Spencer, but I do believe we had a deal?”

Hearing the words _doctor_ and _Spencer_ in Aaron's naturally sultry tone went straight to Spencer’s crotch but he would never let that show. “Yeah, we did” Spencer exhaled. 

“Then let’s go”, and Aaron hopped down the halfpipe on his board. Spencer watched him roll away with such grace and confidence, he was envious. He crawled down the ladder and followed Aaron to where he’d stopped at the edge of the Bowl.

Aaron looked straight through Spencer’s soul and deposited his board on the ground in front of him, “Alright, boy genius, we’re going to start slow. Come here,” he motioned his index finger to beckon him closer, Spencer obeyed. 

Aaron undid the helmet he’d been storing behind his neck and plopped it down onto Spencer’s fluffy hair. He patted it twice before stepping closer to grab at the straps on the sides of the younger boy's face. He clips the clasp of the helmet under Spencer’s chin, brushing his knuckles against the soft skin. “There you go.”

He was still holding the clasp, his thumb right under Spencer’s chin. Spencer’s breath was caught in his chest at the proximity of Aaron’s face to his. 

“You brought a helmet this time,” Spencer gulped. 

“Yeah,” the taller man grinned, “Gotta protect that pretty little head of yours.” 

_Fuck._ Spencer was truly, royally, _fucked._

“Lesson one: balance, positioning, and standing on the board. Turn around, ” 

Spencer turned his back to Aaron, already on the verge of hyperventilating because he never wanted Aaron to stop touching him. Spencer Reid the touch-sensitive germaphobe wanted constant and unhindered physical contact with the hot older skater boy. He let out a breath he’d been holding when Aaron grasped his arms on either side. Then his low voice came from just behind his ear. 

“For you to balance well on the board we need to find your center of gravity, do you know where that is, Spencer?” _Yes_ “No.” 

“Well women tend to have a lower center of gravity, it would be just about here,” Aaron trailed his hands down Spencer’s arms to his stomach, effectively wrapping his arms around the younger boy and feeling the soft fabric of his sweater vest as well as the firm muscle underneath. 

“Oh?” Spencer shuddered, 

“Mhm, but yours…” Aaron trails one hand up Spencer’s side to rest his palm on his chest, “would be right here,” he taps the center of it. 

Spencer could feel Aaron’s chest on his back, the hand low on his stomach, and the hand on this chest. He could _hear_ the smirk in his voice. Jesus Christ he never wanted this to end. “Oh.” 

“Now stand on the board.” Aaron’s hands went down to his hips as Spencer put one foot on the board and shakily tried to lift his other one. The board slipped out from under him and Spencer stumbled back with a yelp but Aaron was quick to steady him with his hands on his hips. Spencer caught his breath as Aaron spoke, 

“It’s alright let's try again but face me this time.” Aaron let go and grabbed the board, repositioning it between the both of them. 

Spencer stepped back on the board with one foot, he felt it slipping away again and steadied himself by holding Aaron’s shoulders. He lifted his other foot into the board with a bit of a swivel but Aaron’s hands once again found Spencer’s slim hips and held him in place. They were now at perfect eye level and Aaron could see Spencer’s eyes twinkling with pride. 

Aaron chuckled at Spencer’s giddiness, “That’s perfect.”

Spencer just smiled, dazzled, and asked, “What’s next, boss man?” 

Aaron began to show him foot positioning, always keeping at least one hand on Spencer. As Spencer adjusted his stance he gripped Aaron’s shoulders and arms maybe a bit too hard but Aaron would rather fall and break his bones than let Spencer trip and scrape an elbow. 

“Alright I think you’re ready to skate in a straight line, you’re just gonna use your back foot to push on the side okay?”

Aaron began to step back but Spencer clung tighter to his shirt. 

“Wait! Don’t let go just yet! Just- I’m scared…”

Aaron got closer and unwound Spencer’s hands from his shirt, “okay, I’ll be right here” and he settles his palm on the small of Spencer’s back, the other hand on Spencer’s bicep. 

Spencer gave one light push and he started rolling. He was unsteady on the board but Aaron walked along with him until Spencer felt ready to push again, Aaron let go and watched as Spencer shrieked out, “YOU SAID YOU WOULDNT LET GO! AARON!” His arms flailed around for balance. The board came to a slow stop and Spencer hopped off, “I DID IT!”

“YOU DID!!! Now get back over here!”

Spencer got back onto the board (with some difficulty). He got into position without toppling over and gave a timid push, when he felt secure he wouldn’t crash to his death, he gave a stronger push, the feeling of the breeze on his face made him look up to see Aaron giving him the dopiest smile and a thumbs up, looking angelic backlit by the setting sun, his baggy long sleeve-under-short sleeve shirt sagging over his tall frame. He looked so comfortable, so relaxed, so _happy_ to be here in the moment. Spencer was so caught up in Aaron’s effortless beauty that he lost his balance and tripped over the board, landing on his side with an _‘oof!’_

Aaron ran up to him, “ _Shit!_ are you alright?” 

Spencer looked up into his worried hazel eyes, and _how could he be anything but alright when those eyes were focused on his._

“Oh no…” Aaron reached for Spencer’s face, thumb lightly brushing a scrape on his cheekbone. 

Spencer couldn’t feel a thing, only the butterflies that Aaron’s presence caused. “I’m okay… I don’t feel anything.”

Aaron chuckled, “I’m not so sure that’s a good thing.” He held his hand out to help Spencer up, the boy took it and got up. Aaron’s hand went back to Spencer’s face, “You shouldn’t go home like that… I have some band-aids in my dorm, I’ll patch you up?” 

He sounded slightly nervous but hid it well with his usual intense stoic face. Spencer blushed. Was Aaron trying to get him alone? Spencer would so very much like to go back to the older man’s dorm and maybe do some unspeakable things. That thought deepened his blush, he bid those feelings away and looked back at Aaron, focused on the light touch of his hand. 

He bit his lip in contemplation, “Okay. I think I owe you my end of the deal anyway. How far is your place?” 

“Just a couple minutes down that wa-” Spencer grabbed Aaron’s hand and pulled him in the direction he was pointing.

Aaron quickly kicked up his board and followed the kid, a shy smile on his lips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I kinda wish I had a beta that could just make my writing pretty but 1) isn't that my job? and 2) the terror of sending an Actual Person my unedited garbage,, 
> 
> On a real note guys, I'm sorry this chapter is pretty sloppy(ier than the other ones probably) but i'm just not in a good place and putting a lot of thought into things is taking too much energy but i really wanted to at least get this done and out there. So don't hate me please.
> 
> I might make the next chapters shorter and more to the point, snippets instead of a continuous story line. 
> 
> hey send me pictures of hotch or spencer or memes maybe or just say Hi or send prompts to me idk @lamythologie on Tumblr.


	4. Spirits in my room, friend or foe?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aaron and Spencer's first study session turns into something... cuddlier?
> 
> Title from Twenty One Pilots' Jumpsuit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Firstly, I KNOw i use italics a lot it’s PART of me this is how it is i can't change who I am
> 
> Secondly, I'd like to thank Spencer (@thefandomlesbian) and Getsu (@Teaforopeners) for helping me figure out what music posters Hotch would have in his room. He definitely has a lot of country vibes, but Skater Hotch worships Blink 182 and that's on The Early 2000s.
> 
> Thirdly, I wanna thank every one that's commented and send me encouragement these past few weeks, it means the WORLD to me. Last chapter was rough and I lowkey can't look at it but I'm feeling better this time around! Y'all have been so patient and it kind of feels like you guys are my friends so I am here to tell you you're worth everything and stay hydrated! <3 
> 
> Also I think this is officially a slow burn fic,, sorry?

Okay. This is fine. This is _fine_. Spencer is not freaking out. Sitting on Aaron’s bed, staring at the Blink-182 poster stuck to the wall behind a _bong_ and- is that a fucking _encyclopedia_? - surrounded by the sights and smells of one incredibly intoxicating Aaron Hotchner. Spencer is decidedly _not_ freaking out. No matter what the sweat on his brow may indicate. 

The little alarm clock on Aaron’s desk was ticking ticking ticking, counting down from 30 with 5 minutes left. _5 minutes left._

They were studying. Well, Aaron was studying. Spencer was tutoring. Spencer was tutoring Aaron and Aaron was studying at his desk _right now_ filling out a practice test that took Spencer no more than two minutes to write up and now he was waiting in silence for him to finish. _Not_ freaking out.

Nothing had happened when they got to the dorm. Aaron had simply shown him around the small room by pointing at things. “Bed. Desk. Bathroom. Welcome to the lavish lifestyle of a broke college student.” 

What had immediately caught Spencer’s eye was the plethora of books strewn about the room. These books weren’t the boring law manuals that you’d expect a law student to have in their dorm (those were just kept on the desk). These were worn out and used classic novels, Dickens and Dickinson… biographies, Dahmer, Bundy… mystery novels, Aaron had the _whole_ David Rossi collection! That alone could have made Spencer swoon.

The next thing he noticed was Aaron _pulling his shirt off_ and replacing it with a comfy Columbia University sweatshirt. It was in times like these that Spencer really was _so_ grateful to have an eidetic memory, because though Aaron’s bare chest was only visible for a second, that was all he needed for the memory to be ingrained in his mind forever. Aaron hadn’t even mentioned it, just threw an Introduction To Criminal Law manual at his chest and said, “This is what we’re doing this week, gonna help me?”, so the younger boy closed his mouth, sat on the unmade bed, and read the manual in just a few minutes.

While he wrote the quiz questions down, Aaron had asked him if he even needed to read words or if his supercomputer brain just processed everything without any effort. Spencer felt the need to point out that one doesn’t really need to read texts word for word, your brain will comprehend the information before you even realize you’re reading, but Aaron had already moved on to another subject, stating that his brain must be like Spongebob’s. When Spencer had furrowed his eyebrows and pouted, Aaron explained that Spongebob’s brain was like an office, full of filing cabinets and little versions of himself running around screaming. Followed by a quieter _“How have you never watched Spongebob?”_

“Hah, the screaming part is actually quite accurate, it seems my mind is in a constant state of distress,” Spencer retorted.

“Are you distressed right now?”

“That would be what the ‘constant’ part of my statement implied, yes.”

“Smartass.”

“I’m a genius, Aaron”

Aaron only chuckled and rolled his eyes, “Why are you distressed?”

His eyes darted around the room, not daring to look Aaron in the eyes, how was he supposed to tell him he was nervous because everything that’s happened in the past few hours was so far out of his depths? He only shrugged and mumbled, “New environment, I guess.”

“Well, what can I do to make you feel comfortable? How do you usually relax?”

The response was immediate, “I read.”

“Tell you what, after I finish studying we can sit down and read for a bit. Get you used to this ‘new environment’, after all, you’ll be here a lot. I’m a terrible test-taker.” 

Spencer smiled, “Sounds good, and you can’t be that bad.” 

He got back to writing the questions. The manual covered the basics of what crime is as a concept and the structure of criminal justice. Things that Spencer already knew from reading several manuals and books on his own time. He wasn’t lame, it’s just that technical manuals tend to be more fun and informative than reading Pride and Prejudice for the seventh time, _Mom_. Nonetheless, he attempted to make the questions easy, just to get a sense of where Aaron was at so that they could focus on his problem areas. Spencer was good at studying.

Aaron sat at his desk to take the test, hunching over and biting at the tip of his pencil. The timer was set to half an hour but during his silent not-freak-out Spencer noticed he only wrote for seven minutes and spent the rest of the time erasing and rewriting. The timer sounded and brought his consciousness back to the forefront. He took the paper Aaron handed him and took a few seconds to look it over.

Fuck. It was bad. So bad. Spencer tried to keep a neutral face on but Aaron had gotten _every question_ wrong and the answers were so underdeveloped it was like grading a kid’s spelling quiz. Distressed, he looked up to Aaron’s pure innocent unsuspecting perfect face. 

“Aaron… These are all wrong… For ‘define crime in your own words’ you just put ‘when bad people do bad things’...”

“Oh..shit. God, I am _such_ a doofus. How will I ever pass these midterms?” Aaron’s grin was wicked.

Spencer rolled his eyes and shoved the paper to Aaron’s chest. He had a feeling the skater was smarter than he let on… 

“It’s getting late, I should go… We’ll work on your ‘answers’ next time.”

A flash of worry crossed Aaron's face, but Spencer must have imagined it. They’d just spent hours together, surely he was getting sick of him. He started packing his things, but Aaron interrupted him, “Wait…” Aaron’s hand on his wrist stopped him from packing any further, “Stay the night. Besides, I promised you we’d read, right? I am a man of my word, Doctor Reid.”

Spencer couldn’t keep the shy smile off his face, he knew he had to say yes or he’d regret it. Not only that but Penelope would never let him live it down. 

“You did promise, and we can’t have you start breaking promises now, it would hurt my feelings.” At Spencer’s fake pout, Aaron grinned, pushed him gently back onto the bed and said, “Show me what you’re reading today.” 

\-------------------------------- 

After about 45 minutes of reading side by side on the bed, Spencer reading a technical book on the life cycle of the praying mantis and Aaron mostly watching Spencer while pretending to read a JFK biography, the older man decided he’d had enough of the silence. Don’t get him wrong, he was immensely enjoying staring at Spencer's lips mouthing the words and at his long fingers as he flipped a page every few seconds, but he wasn’t into this silence.

“What is that?” He reached out for a book that was peeking out from Spencer's satchel on the bed. It was rather large in height and had gorgeous red art on the cover. It looked quite old, quite important.

“Oh, that’s 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea by Jules Verne”

Aaron let out a grunt of understanding, urging Spencer to go on, “It’s a classic. It was published in 1870 and was groundbreaking for its time. 20,000 leagues is roughly 50,000 miles and it’s the depths that the Captain of a futuristic submarine captain and three adventurers travel to. They encounter monsters and new landscapes, it’s actually the book that we get a lot of adventure tropes from today. You know Nemo the fish?” 

Aaron nodded. 

“Well, that name comes from Captain Nemo from the book. Jules Vernes wrote a lot of influential novels, like Around The World In 80 Days which I’m sure you’ve heard of.” 

At that he nodded again. The story sounded interesting, and Spencer seemed to have a deep interest in it. Besides, Aaron could listen to this boy talk all day.

Aaron bit his lip timidly, “It sounds really lovely, why don’t you read it to me?”

Spencer was taken aback for a second but quickly erased the shock from his features. That might have been the most seductive sentence he’d ever heard, and it came from _Aaron’s_ mouth. Even better. 

Trying not to show his nerves, Spencer smiled and said “Of course.”

He set his and Aaron’s books down, took out the Jules Vernes from his bag, and settled underneath a blanket. Aaron helped himself to a share of the blanket, and usually Spencer would feel uncomfortable being so close to someone, but he noticed he didn’t mind at all. He began to read, ‘ _The year 1866 was signalised by a remarkable incident…_ ’

As Aaron listened intently to the story, the younger genius couldn’t help but notice that dark-haired man was staring at him. A big part of his insecurity was telling him that it was because he had something on his face, that Aaron was staring at him because he was a joke to be gawked at. But there was another blooming part of his brain that thought maybe, just maybe, Aaron Hotchner was staring at him because he thinks he’s pretty. 

At some point between Chapters five and six, Aaron’s head found Spencer’s shoulder, a bit after that Aaron’s eyes closed, but Spencer knew he was still listening because he’d let out a low chuckle once in a while that he could feel through his arm. Then Spencer’s own eyes began to feel heavy and his cheek found the top of Aaron’s soft hair. His words began to drawl and the book in his lap fell closed. Warm under the blanket, pressed close to his new friend, it just felt right to succumb to the black behind his eyelids.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Leave a kudos, comment, feedback, and message me @reidology on tumblr if you have any prompts or questions!


	5. Your hair looks sexy pushed back...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The morning after, things finally happen.
> 
> Title from Mean Girls (lmao).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter came a bit early! Surprise? This is the most fun I've had writing this story so far. <3

There is a steady stream of cold air hitting the crook of his neck and a tank grounding him to the mattress. The comforting scent of Axe Body Spray and musky aftershave compels Spencer to keep his eyes shut and bask in the warm sun filtering in through the blinds. Since when was his bed this comfortable? When was the last time he’d felt so serene? No terrible thought-tempest brewing in his brain, no sharp iron coil in his gut, just the birds chirping outside and the incredibly soft warmth of the weight on top of him. 

The weight on top of him. 

The weight on top-? 

He doesn’t own a weighted blanket, or a dog, so why does he feel hair tickling his chin? Damn, did he fall asleep in Penelope’s office again? That fuzzy orange blanket she covers him with always makes him sneeze! Wait- how did he get to Penelope’s office, he never even left Aaron’s place, he- Oh. Aaron. 

Feeling around the bed, his hand lands on- yes, yes that is definitely a head. Aaron’s head probably, his hair is so soft, should he open his eyes? Groggily, Spencer opens one eye, nothing could have prepared him for the sight before him. The sight of Aaron beautifully draped over Spencer’s torso, gentle tufts of hair caressing the younger’s chin, one leg thrown over his hip, arms hugging his small waist. Aaron looked so delicate, so vulnerable, the opposite of the charismatic bravado he seemed to effortlessly carry. Here he was just a boy with nothing to prove and nothing to hide. 

Spencer spent a little while staring down at the skater’s face, running his hand through the thick hair lining his chin. He began counting the man’s even breaths and mirroring them. To his immense relief, in this moment he felt insignificant. On any usual day this scenario would have him hyperventilating and desperately clawing for a way out, but with Aaron like this all he felt was content, he wanted to savor every piece of this puzzle. He noticed that Aaron was still in his oversized Columbia sweatshirt but was in his boxers, and his own shoes were missing from his feet. Aaron must have woken up in the night and decided to get them both more comfortable. He wondered if Aaron had consciously snuggled into him after getting back into bed, or if he had naturally gravitated toward Spencer’s heat after falling asleep.

A glance to his left towards the desk showed that it was 8:30 in the morning, if he wasn’t out the door in five minutes he would be late for his appointment with Penelope. But a little content sound came from the man sleeping on top of him which forced Spencer out of his worries. He was still completely wrapped inside snug dangly limbs, so any effort to move would surely disturb the peace. Instead, he decided to accept his predicament and doze off into an easy sleep, this time knowing the reason for his sweet dreams. Penelope wouldn't mind, she’d be proud.

\-----------------------------------------------------

The next time he opened his eyes, it was to the tender stroking of his collar bone by a big calloused thumb. When the rubbing stopped, he looked down to the culprit and couldn’t fight off a smile if a revolver was pressed to his head. Aaron’s glittering hazel eyes were staring up at him full of wonder and hope, a shy smile on his lips.

“Why’d you stop? That felt really nice.” His voice cracked and rasped. Aaron’s voice was low and gravelly when he replied, “Sorry. I was worried you’d freak out.”

“Freak out at having a super hot guy cuddle me? You must be out of your mind.” 

“...”

It seemed the genius’s groggy sleep brain hadn’t yet fully woken up, causing him to say _stupid embarrassing things. Fuck now he’s freaking out._ His face turned impossibly red and he could feel his hands getting clammy, _how does he get out of this_ _how will he ever survive this-_ but his stare-down with the stained ceiling came to an abrupt stop when the other man’s body shifted. Suddenly his eyesight was full of an amused face hovering over his own flustered one.

“You think I’m hot?”

_ Fuck. _

“No comment.” Spencer practically squawked.

“Hmm…” Aaron seemed to contemplate something in his mind for a few seconds before he brought his hand to Spencer’s cheek, who let out another startled sound. Aaron’s hand was large enough to cup his whole jaw and rub at his cheekbones, the warmth of the sensation was almost unbearable to Spencer. He was breathless and so so confused, his heart skipping like a record. But he wouldn’t dare speak and break this moment. Next thing he knew, Aaron’s healing hands reached his hairline and sunk into his soft wavy locks, rubbing at his temple. It was pure instinct to let his eyes flutter shut. Now Aaron was propped up on one elbow, one hand buried in the pale boy’s hair, legs entangled like they had been all night. 

“Hmm…” It sounded like a question this time. Spencer reluctantly opened his eyes once more. Aaron’s gaze bore into his, nothing could be done to tear away from that captivating look. He gulped. “Do you know Mean Girls?”

Spencer blinked. Many times. His frontal lobe may have short-circuited and fried up because  _ what? _

“ _ What? _ ”

“Mean Girls. Have you seen it?” His tone was just as serious as before and his gaze didn’t falter. Spencer remained silent and confused. Nothing new for him, but this time it felt  _ strange _ . Had he completely misread the situation? This was a new low, he will never live this down. Of course Aaron didn’t like him, dudes snuggle all the time and it’s just another  _ bro thing  _ that Spencer is completely blind to- 

The hand in his hair continued to move from his forehead to his nape, “Because I think your hair looks sexy pushed back.” 

“ _ Huh? _ ” 

And then Aaron’s lips were pressed to his and time stopped. The kiss was sweet and chaste, Aaron pulled back, “I said-” But Spencer dragged him back down by the neck to reconnect their mouths. He could feel Aaron’s smile on his lips, he could smell Aaron’s scent through his nose, he could feel the sharp angle of his jawline under his palms and the soft skin under his nails. He could feel Aaron nipping and pulling at his bottom lip, tongue tentatively asking for access. He felt the vibrations of the soft groan he let out when Aaron’s hand snaked down his shirt and skimmed over a nipple. He felt Aaron’s gasp as their kiss deepened, as their tongues danced together. 

When a warm hand slipped under his shirt to rest on his stomach, Spencer saw stars. Electric, thundering stars. His own hands explored Aaron’s toned chest through the sweatshirt, eliciting an encouraging groan from the man. Eventually they broke off for air and, panting, Aaron moved down to press smoldering kisses to Spencer’s jaw, nipping at his ear and continuing down his neck until he got to his collarbones. He had to pull at his shirt collar to gain better access, but it was so worth it to hear Spencer’s whining moan and feel his hands dig into his hair. Aaron kept leaving kisses up and down, marking up the crook of the younger man’s neck. The harder he bit, the louder the resulting moan, and he just couldn’t get enough of the boy’s delicious sounds. 

Just as Spencer went to adjust his hips to Aaron’s, the shrill blaring of the alarm clock rang out. Spencer jumped upright, causing their heads to collide and knocking Aaron right off the bed. 

“Ow fuck!” Aaron exclaimed from the floor. 

“Argh! I’m sorry…” Spencer cradled his head, “are you alright?” He stood up off the bed to offer the fallen man a hand. Aaron winced as he let himself be pulled up, then switched off the offending alarm before replying, “God was I that bad?” He teased. 

Spencer smiled coyly, “No... that wasn’t bad at all. But I am really, really late to my therapy appointment.”

\---------------------------------------------

Penelope was staring at him… studiously. He held his stuffed octopus tightly in his lap. He could play this game. Not the staring game, but the silence game. He fixated at a blank space behind her head and acted like everything was normal. Because, well, everything  _ was _ normal, right? This is what Penelope meant when she said he needed to make more connections, right?

“When did you attend Columbia University?” She asked suspiciously, pointing her feathery pink pen at the sweatshirt he was wearing. Spencer had left in a hurry, laces left untied and jacket nowhere to be seen. Aaron had helpfully suggested he borrow his sweater, as a replacement for the jacket they clearly did not have time to search for.

“What do you mean?” Spencer’s expression feigned innocence, he toyed with a tentacle.

Penelope was unimpressed, she’d seen this act before. He always cracks, he can’t keep secrets, not when they’re his own. 

“You get here half an hour late, wearing the sweater of a university you have absolutely no affiliation with, with  _ hickeys _ all over you neck, Spencer! What is going on!”

A beat of silence and the teenager couldn’t keep the blush and timid grin off his face. 

“I.. found a new hobby.”

Penelope gaped incredulously, which _hey!_ _way to have faith in your patients!_ but eventually smiled wide and excited. “Really? Well, what is it!”

“Skateboarding.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AH! They finally kissed! Maybe it isn't slow burn after all...👀... This chapter was SO cute and happy and fluffy! Nothing bad could EVER happen to our two love birds right?! RIGHT?!!!
> 
> Thank you to anyone who's been reading, been keeping up with each update, or if you're new here! Welcome! I love it here! I hope you do too! 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter! If you did, don't forget to leave a kudos, and comments and feedback are so so SO appreciated! <3
> 
> Feel free to follow me on tumblr @reidology, to send me any questions/prompts/thoughts you have! I love you have an awesome day!


	6. I don't wanna make it, I just wanna-

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Spencer, everything I’ve done for you is not about emotion, it's about justice. I advise you to get over yourself, the BAU is bigger than you and your little friend. Once he stops wasting your time you can go back to thinking rationally.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally an update!!! This is the longest chapter yet I hope it was worth the wait :)
> 
> Chapter title from mcr you know the one.

It was dark and raining out, but inside the warm comfort of Gideon’s cabin the sound of the rain pittering against the windows was relaxing. Finally, this Wednesday Gideon wasn’t away on a case, so Spencer has made his way to his cabin for their weekly chess dinners. At the door he was greeted by his mentor with a question rather than, well, a greeting, “How would you identify an injury as hesitant or otherwise?”

It’s not that Spencer didn’t appreciate everything Gideon was doing for him, he just sometimes wondered why they couldn’t ever have normal conversations. Talk about normal things, confide in each other. He already thought of the older man as a father figure, he wished Gideon would take in interest in his personal life. Granted, Spencer didn’t  _ have  _ a personal life until like last week. The lack of personal connection between them made him tick, why does it always have to be business? How about a ‘ _ Hello Spencer, sorry about last week, let’s catch up! _ ’, was that really so unthinkable? 

Yes, Spencer was still pissed about Gideon leaving for a case with the BAU without even letting him know that he had  _ rejoined the BAU _ . The place he’d been groomed to work for since he was thirteen by Gideon himself.

“A hesitation mark would be a shallow, perhaps uneven cut as opposed to a clean, deep wound that would reach past the epidermis of the victim’s skin.” Spencer answered dully. Too easy. The old man let him in and Spencer settled at his usual spot at the dinner table. 

They ate in relative silence, meaning Gideon talked and Spencer listened, as per usual. The reason Gideon went on the case was to butter Spencer up to the team and introduce the idea of letting Spencer on. Spencer pointed out that he hasn’t even joined the  _ academy _ yet and he’s already considering the BAU? 

“Trust me, Reid, I know what’s good for you,” was the only response he got. 

How come Gideon couldn’t tell him about this beforehand? After all, this is about  _ him _ . This is  _ his _ future! A simple head’s up is all Spencer wanted, a sign that he was in control of his own life. But of course, that would’ve gone right over Gideon’s head. 

After Spencer helped clean up the dinner, they settled into a chess game. It was a welcomed distraction from the frustrations of the earlier conversation. But Spencer should’ve known his luck always runs out. 

“I almost forgot,” Gideon began in his usual monotone, “Rossi has agreed to meet with you for a little chat over at the office.”

This had Spencer seething. He pretended not to hear him, focusing instead on his next move.  _ If you have nothing nice to say _ , he thought,  _ say nothing at all _ .

“It’s tomorrow evening, you should bring your resume. And your dissertation”

Spencer moved his knight to E5.

He didn’t look up, “I’m busy tomorrow evening.” 

Aaron was taking him to the skatepark to teach him how to kick-flip and maybe do… other things. Gideon appeared to be surprised by this reaction, as if Spencer should be jumping with joy at the prospect of meeting with another old man to discuss how else he can be used. 

“Spencer, this isn’t really something you can blow off. This is important.”

“So is this! I have plans with Aaron and I am going to see them through. Rossi can reschedule.”

“Who is Aaron? And how could he be more important than this?”

“You would know if you ever asked about how I’m doing.”

Gideon kept looking right through him, unimpressed. He set his Queen to E5, taking Spencer’s knight. Spencer tried not to choke up. 

He tells him about how Penelope urged him to socialize more, and get out of his comfort zone. About how he goes to study and read at the skatepark, how he met Aaron there, and offered to tutor him. His voice got small when he let slip that Aaron kissed him.

“A-and that’s why I need to tutor him tomorrow, his midterms are soon.”

It was a bit of a lie hidden in truth, but he couldn’t tell Gideon his plan was to suck face with the skater he met two weeks ago. 

Gideon’s silence was deafening. Spencer shakily moved his pond to C4, after all it’s not every day you accidentally come out to your prehistoric mentor.

“This boy is a distraction. So is Penelope. She has been trying to control you for months, I knew it was a bad idea for you to see her. She’s feeding you lies, filling you with emotional dandruff, and putting you on the wrong path. Spencer, everything I’ve done for you is not about emotion, it is about justice. I advise you to get over yourself, the BAU is bigger than you and your little friend. Once he stops wasting your time you can go back to thinking rationally.” 

Spencer has no means to hide the tears streaking his cheeks. Or the ones falling onto the board. He wants to tell Gideon that the BAU is  _ his _ dream, not Spencer’s, that the only one controlling his life is  _ him.  _ Penelope has shown him that there’s more to life than just being a convenient supercomputer. He feels alive for the first time ever, he hopes Gideon will understand. 

“I made a promise to a friend,” his lips trembled, “I can’t betray that.”

“No, you made a commitment to the FBI, to helping people, to catching monsters. Now you’re going to meet with David Rossi tomorrow or the past five years of your life will have been meaningless. It’s your choice, Spencer.” 

He made a final move on the board. “Check mate.” 

The message was clear. Gideon or Aaron. 

Later that night, lying in bed, he texted Aaron:

_ Spencer: I can’t meet you tomorrow. It’s best if we don’t meet at all anymore. _

The reply came in immediately, 

**_Aaron: wdym? are you ok?_ **

Spencer was too emotional to respond. He tried to go to sleep but his phone kept vibrating.

**_Aaron: is this a gay freak out?_ **

**_or is it a me thing?_ **

**_..._ **

**_Spencer please just let me know you’re alright._ **

_ Spencer: I’ll be alright if you leave me alone. _

Sending that to Aaron felt like a cut deep in his chest, he’d never been so cruel before. No reply came and he began to doze off into oblivion, he was about to drift when his phone vibrated again.

**_Aaron: fine, but I need my sweater back._ **

—————————————

Ever since Aaron had met this kid, he hasn’t been able to form a single coherent thought. The genius with hidden wit and geeky sarcasm already held so much power over him. Spencer had the compassion of a nurse, the most dazzling smile he’d ever seen, and eyes to draw him in and drown him in the deep end. Spencer could ask him to jump off the moon and he’d happily oblige. But this, this wasn’t like jumping off the moon. This was heartbreak.

_ I’ll be alright if you leave me alone. _

The words flashed onto the screen and knocked the breath out of him. That message hurt worse than an ankle sprained a hundred times over. Nothing Spencer could say could make him believe that what they had, whatever they were building up to, didn’t mean anything. Something wasn’t right and Aaron was determined to find out exactly what. He couldn’t let this boy slip through the cracks, he couldn’t let him go before telling him exactly how he felt. But Spencer was stubborn, and he wouldn’t listen, he’ll shut himself out into isolation if Aaron doesn’t do something. 

So he staged a coup. A devious plan to get Spencer running back into his arms. Ignoring the last text from Spencer, he replied  **_‘fine, but I need my sweater back.’_ **

—————————————

Spencer has a plan. A plan to return Aaron’s sweater without actually seeing him. He plans to leave the clothing on the halfpipe and be gone before the man in question even gets there. He gets to the skatepark early and sets the sweater down at his usual spot, but when he turns around he comes face-to-face with his kryptonite. Aaron knows him too well. 

Shoes dangling around his neck, baggy band T-shirt, oversized corduroy pants, striped green socks, messy hair, and the ever-present skateboard tucked under his arm.. How can this man have such an effect on him? 

“Spencer,” he flashed a crooked smile. Spencer didn’t smile back. This will be easier if he doesn’t show his true emotions.

The smile faded quickly when Spencer wordlessly handed him the folded sweater. He’d spent a few minutes smelling it before he left, just to commit the scent to memory.

Aaron swallowed nervously, “Just talk to me,  _ please.  _ I just want to know what I did.”

He reached for Spencer’s cheek but Spencer ducked away before he could.  _ Why is he making this harder than it has to be. _

“You didn’t do anything. It’s me. I can’t do this, I have to go. I have a meeting.”

Spencer stepped around the taller man, but Aaron grabbed his arm, “No, stay, please let’s talk about this.”

“I can’t.” He shrugged him off and walked away. Leaving Aaron even more confused and heartbroken than before. Little did he know Spencer’s heart was broken too.

———————————————-

David Rossi is an old Italian man with an affinity for classic cars and Cuban cigars. Spencer knows this because within ten minutes of meeting the man, the words ‘carbonara’ and ‘vintage’ had been uttered at least seven times. He seemed all right, Spencer liked that he hadn’t mentioned his age or his intelligence yet. Rossi introduced him to another younger agent before disappearing to his office with Gideon. 

Elle Greenaway is… as intimidating as she looks. She may be shorter than Spencer but her height does not deter her from being absolutely vicious. The words ‘scrawny’ and ‘privilege’ may have been thrown around (to his face) many, many times. Nevertheless, she seemed genuinely interested in Spencer. 

You see, he’d been dragged to the BAU by Gideon, to have this meeting with _THE_ _David Rossi_ , and he’d been sulking the whole way there. He remained polite and tried, really he tried, to act like he wanted to be there. But his mind was stuck on the day’s previous events. How could Aaron have changed his life so quickly? His universal perspective was completely skewed. He imagined the look on Aaron’s face when he finds out that David Rossi offered to cook him dinner at his mansion. The way his lip would quirk up as if to say ‘ _you’re joking, right?_ ’ and the bright smile and wide eyes of excitement when he realizes that it’s the _truth_ and the way his big hands would pull him in for a slow passionate kiss… 

“Hey! Kid!”

Spencer broke out of his daydream at Agent Greenaway’s shrill voice and the snap of her fingers in front of his face. She looked amused, if not a little pissed-off at being ignored. “I asked you a question, what’s got you looking so miserable?”

By now he should know that this woman is direct and abrasive but unapologetic, he could respect that, but he was still caught off guard by the bluntness of the question. A panicked little squeak left his throat which totally betrayed the cool exterior he’d been faking this whole time. “Don’t even try to lie to me either, I’ll know.” Was that a threat? 

“I- I’m not miserable.” He replied, miserably. 

She did not believe that for a second. Greenaway took a glance around her bullpen then gestured to an empty office with a round table, “Sit down, Einstein. I’ll be right back.”

Spencer sat on one of the chairs, looking around he noticed a case board full of newspaper clippings, crime scene photos, maps, and more. Could he see himself sitting here, day after day, chasing monsters? He didn’t have time to entertain that thought before Elle came back and closed the door behind her. She placed a steaming cup of coffee in front of him. “ _ Oh thank god, _ ” He let out without thinking, she just chuckled at his embarrassment and took a seat across from him.

“I know a caffeine deficiency when I see one. But that’s not all it is, is it? Spill, Pretty Boy or I’ll make sure Rossi never lets you step foot in this building again.”

They both knew she wasn’t serious, no matter how convincing she sounded, but Spencer let up anyway. After taking a long sip of the scorching coffee, he shrugged, “Maybe that wouldn’t be so bad,” his gaze remained trained on the coffee sloshing around his cup, “Maybe that’s what I want.”

“You don’t want to be here?” Elle asked quizzically. “I thought you were ‘ _ the genius to put us all to shame! _ ’ ‘ _ the BAU’s missing link! _ ’ ‘ _ the kid who’s gonna change the game _ !’ That’s all Gideon’s been talking about for years.” 

Spencer shook his head and reddened at the way Gideon’s been talking about him to these special agents, “Gideon he… he doesn’t know what I want. He doesn’t understand.” He wants Aaron. He wants to feel wanted, not just…  _ useful _ . 

“And what is it you want?”

At that he took another sip of coffee, it really could use some sugar, how long of a sip does he need to take before Greenaway changes the subject? He couldn’t answer that.

A knowing smirk grew on the older agent’s face, “Ahh… or should I ask,  _ who _ is it you want?”

Spencer only choked a little bit. 

“Wh-what? No, no i-it’s not a-  _ who _ it’s uh-”

“What’s her name?” Her head was propped up on her hand, leaning over as if that would get him to spill all his secrets. 

After some hesitation, he relented, deep breath in, “His name.” 

Elle didn’t look surprised, just corrected herself, “What’s  _ his _ name, then?” Deep breath out. It’s safe.

He tried to suppress a grin when he answered, but it was nearly impossible not to smile when thinking of Aaron Hotchner. 

“His name is Aaron. He’s a law student, I met him at the skatepark. But I... I can’t see him anymore. He’s a distraction.”

Elle’s eyebrows shot up at that, “Is that what Gideon told you?”

He nodded. She made her disapproval clear with a roll of her eyes and a  _ tsk _ .

“Listen, kid. Gideon’s an old man stuck in his glory days. You’ve got the rest of your life to work for the FBI. You’re only nineteen for Christ’s sake! Do you even know how many wives Rossi’s had? Too many. But he’s one of the best profilers I’ve ever met. Love isn’t a distraction, Spencer, it’s an asset. Go chase your dream guy, the BAU isn’t going anywhere.”

At that, she got up and went to leave, not before saying, “I better not see you for at least another decade, kid.”

She was right, and Spencer had a sweater to reclaim.

———————————————-

By the time Gideon drove him home, it was nearly 11pm, Spencer was exhausted from socializing with the team and talking about his genius intellect for hours. But he was determined to fix the rupture he’s created.

He’s been an avoidant ass to Aaron. He knows he doesn’t deserve to be forgiven. But he’ll be damned if he doesn’t try. He dug around the garage, making sure not to wake his mother, and found his old bike. And helmet, of course. He grabbed his satchel and made his way to Aaron’s dorm building in the dark. He wouldn’t risk texting Aaron in advance and being turned down or ignored. He left the bike in the grass and made his way up to Aaron’s door, attempting to catch his breath.

Before knocking he made sure he still had the gift in his bag. After his talk with Agent Greenaway earlier, he thought about how he could apologize. He wanted it to be meaningful, so he brought a gift. Spencer held his breath and knocked three times. He practiced his speech in his head,  _ Aaron, I am so sorry I treated you like you were disposable. My mind was clouded with doubt about my future, but I never should have let that get in the way of you. You mean so much to me, Aaron, would you let me-  _

The door opened and it revealed a disheveled, bloodshot, miserable figure. Aaron had clearly been crying. It was almost midnight and Aaron had been up crying because of him. Spencer was such an asshole, how could he have done this to the only person to ever treat him like a normal guy? The guilt swallowed him whole and the practiced words left his mind. How could he fix this? 

“Spence?” Aaron has never sounded so  _ small _ .  __

Spencer blubbered, feet stuck to the ground. His mouth opened but no words came out. Aaron shifted his feet and looked down at the ground.

“What are you doing here?”

Spencer swallowed his pride.

“I came to apologize. I know I really fucked up. You don’t have to forgive me but I- I hope you’ll give me another chance.”

Aaron looked up at him, analyzing his face, surprised at Spencer’s words. After today he thought Spencer was completely done with him. He sniffed and saw Spencer’s guilt build-up in his shoulders.

“Here… I got you this. I know it isn’t much but…”

Spencer opened his satchel and fussed around for the gift, he handed it to Aaron who took his hands out of his pockets with shaking arms. His eyes widened.

“David Rossi’s new book? It doesn’t get released for another month.”

“Open it.”

Aaron opens the cover and falls silent.

_ “Scars remind us where we've been. They don't have to dictate where we're going.” _

“How did you get an autographed copy of my favorite author’s unreleased novel?”

“It’s a long story, but essentially there was a lot of begging.”

Aaron stood a while in uffish thought, staring down at the book, stroking the spine of it. Then he gave a little smirk at, “Begging, huh?” There was a glint in his eyes. The mischievous glint Spencer thought he had put out forever. 

“Yeah, you should’ve seen it. I was on my knees and everything.”

Aaron smiled. “I want a real explanation, but right now I just want to kiss you. Can I kiss you?”

Spencer was in his arms before Aaron could finish the question. “You never have to ask.”

Aaron wasted no time grabbing Spencer’s face and crashing their lips together. Spencer immediately melted into it, clutching at the other’s hoodie, trying to get closer to that heavenly heat. Aaron broke away caressing the younger man’s face and pressed his forehead to his temple, “Stay,” he whispered. 

Spencer nodded vigorously and was pulled across the threshold into the room. The door was kicked closed with Spencer pressed up against it. Aaron slotted their lips back together and draped an arm around Spencer’s small frame, the other landing in his hair. Spencer’s lips parted to let the taller man in, the sensation washed over him and made his toes curl. Using his hold on Spencer’s hair, Aaron directed his head up, exposing the pale expanse of his neck. He peppered kisses and nipped and sucked until Spencer made those irresistible sounds Aaron had been dreaming about. He licked behind his ear and Spencer let out a whine, God, Aaron could watch him come undone all day. 

“A-Aaron.”

Aaron hummed as he slipped a hand under Spencer’s button-up shirt.

“Aaron, wait.”

Spencer tapped lightly at his arm and Aaron stopped what he was doing.

“What’s wrong?” Wow, he sounded  _ wrecked. _

“Nothing’s wrong, I promise. I just don’t want to do this like… this. Our first time shouldn’t be rushed,”

Aaron nods and hums his approval in Spencer’s neck.

“Let’s go to bed?” Spencer cards his fingers through Aaron’s thick hair. The man pulls him in for a sweet kiss, then pulls him toward the bed.

“Anything you want, sweetheart.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> leave a comment and kudos if you liked it!
> 
> Disclaimer: This isn’t a Gideon hate fic but it kind of is. Elle holds so much power over me. I wanted to make this super angsty and sad but I don’t have it in me so it’s just a bit angsty and then cute. Spencer's only 19 but his mind is older. And don’t judge the chess game, I don’t understand chess, I just did the moves from wizard chess in Harry Potter.
> 
> Also wanna thank Spencer @afandomlesbian yet again for introducing me to her HotchReid anthem, Achilles Come Down by Gang of Youths it got me in the zone <3
> 
> msg me on tumblr @reidology <3


	7. It only takes a little push to pull on through

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> New feelings are brought to light. 
> 
> Title from Missing You by All Time Low

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think there will be one more chapter, with some smutty times perhaps (definitely). I've kinda been planning the smut scene since the beginning. This chapter's a bit under edited bc i’m tired. Thanks a whole lot to every one who has stuck around <3

The next morning was spent in a magical haze. At sunrise, light peeking through the curtains, Aaron woke up to a warm body curled into his chest. A few minutes later, Spencer woke up to soft kisses peppering his face. It was only about 6 a.m., a lot earlier than any of them were used to, they are college students after all. 

Aaron took him to the skatepark while the air was still crisp and he could wrap his arms around Spencer to warm him up. They skated and fell and they laughed, pouts were kissed away. There were many failed kick-flips and ollies, but it wasn’t the skating that mattered. After a while they settled down, Aaron resting his head on Spencer’s lap to listen to him read David Rossi’s book to him. Spencer threaded his fingers through Aaron’s thick hair, almost inviting him to fall asleep like this, but a voice interrupted them.

“Reid.”

Spencer’s fingers halted and his spine straightened immediately.  _ Shit.  _ He knew he should have answered his phone. He was hoping that he could just have one day to himself, one day to relax and live his life without being ordered around, so he’d been ignoring Gideons calls, texts, and voicemails since last night. He should’ve known Gideon would never leave him be, Gideon owns him. 

Aaron opened his eyes and looked at Spencer quizzically. “It’s alright, I’ll take care of it.” Spencer whispered, which really did nothing to alleviate Aaron’s confusion.

Spencer gently pushed the head in his lap up and got up to face the fury he knows will be directed at him by his superior. Instead, he was met with beady eyes that screamed  _ ‘disappointed’ _ . 

“I figured I’d find you here. The only park near your house.”

“Your deduction skills are extraordinary, Sherlock.” Spencer retorted.

Gideon isn’t phased by Spencer’s snarkiness anymore, he continued, 

“Figured you’d be with the skater fella you’re throwing your life away for.”

“Oh what, did you  _ profile _ that out of me?”

Gideon’s disapproving eyes flashed to Aaron, who was now standing up and fully alert. Spencer could tell there was a stare-down happening, but he couldn’t tell who was winning, they both excelled at being stoic. 

“This is the boy who’s been distracting you? A raggedy stoner you have to read to? Reid you’re better than this.”

“Hey old man watch your mouth-” Spencer caught Aaron’s arm, stopping him from getting any closer to his mentor.

“Gideon, I can make my own decisions about  _ my own _ life. It doesn’t mean I’m throwing anything away.” 

“Then why did I receive a call from Agent Greenaway forbidding you to join the team until you’re 30!” There was the burning anger Spencer had anticipated, he hated himself for flinching. He swallowed thickly and said what he knew he needed to. 

“Back at the cabin, you told me to make a choice. I did. Elle helped me see that I deserve to make myself happy. Aaron makes me happy, the BAU can wait.”

“The BAU  _ needs _ you, Reid. You’re an asset, you could change the entire practice of profiling, our entire understanding of the field!”

Spencer couldn’t hold it in any longer, he didn’t care about making a scene.

“I am more than just your brain machine, Gideon! I’m more than an eidetic memory and endless PhDs!” He grasps Aaron’s hand tightly in his, “Elle, Penelope, Aaron, they all treat me like a normal person with no expectations to be better than anyone else. They accept me for me, which is something you’ve always ignored. I spent the past five years trying to make you proud because you sought me out and groomed me! Now I know what I am, and I don’t need you for it. I don’t need the BAU.”

Shock and betrayal was written all over Gideon’s face. He obviously wasn’t expecting Spencer to blow off like he had, he didn’t know the kid had it in him. His mouth falters, almost speechless, Spencer is panting trying to catch his breath while Aaron attempts to sooth him. Gideon takes a deep infuriating breath and turns to leave, he stops in his tracks to add, “I took you under my wing, Spencer. I gave you everything I knew how after your father left, I made you. One day you’ll see how ungrateful you’re being, and you’ll come back begging for this opportunity. I hope reality catches up with you soon.” He stomps away.

As soon as Gideon was out of sight, Spencer collapsed into Aaron’s arms, gently weeping into his shoulder.

“Hey, shh, shh. What was that all about? Spence talk to me…” He pecked his forehead and pet his hair reassuringly, “It’s going to be ok, sweetheart.”

“That was Gideon I- Aaron can you take me somewhere?” He looked up at him.

“Of course, where to?”

  
  


Aaron dropped him off in front of Penelope’s office. Spencer told him not to wait up, he’ll call when he’s done. He was buzzed onto Penelope’s floor and gently knocked on her office door. He heard a  _ come in!  _ and walked into her lair, “Spencey? I wasn’t expecting you today. Is everything okay?”

Before he could even think up an answer he was sniffing again, unable to keep his emotions in any longer. “ _ Oh honey _ ! Come on take a seat.” Penelope got up to quickly hug him and hand him his octopus. He immediately held it up to his cheek.

“Alright then, what’s a matter? Start from the beginning.”

So Spencer recounts everything that’s happened. Gideon giving him an ultimatum, choosing him over Aaron, Elle, making up with Aaron, Gideon tracking him down. Feeling like a puppet being pulled every which way. 

“Well. What I already know for certain Spence, is that you’re not to blame yourself for any of this, alright? The fact that you came to me of your own accord tells me you were able to identify a problem and seek help. You’re beginning to recognize your worth, instead of wallowing in darkness. I’m proud of you for that.”

Spencer grumbled out a small thank you into the stuffed animal. “Next, I want you to tell me where you see yourself being say… six months from now.”

He thought long and hard about that, he couldn’t come up with an answer. “That’s just in, Pen, for the first time in my life I can’t picture my future, I can only think of  _ him.  _ My future was the only certain thing in my life, now everything is uncertain. I think I might be broken.”

“Oh honey, you’re not broken, you’re in love!” 

Her gleeful smile could have lightened up Manhattan. “Let me write you up, diagnosis: love, medication: communication. With Aaron, Gideon, and yourself.”

“Haven’t I done enough communicating for today?”

She sent him a stern glance and picked up her fuzzy gel pen.

“New assignment, boy wonder, I want you to talk to them. By next week I want you to tell me how you resolved these issues.  _ In writing _ . All you have to do is communicate.”

Spencer frowned, “I came here for help and you’re telling me to help myself?”

“I’m telling you I know you already have the tools to solve this, some things you need to figure out for yourself, I’m just giving you a nudge.”

He didn’t look very convinced, but he thought maybe he could do this. Speak his mind instead of letting it all simmer quietly.

“Okay. But I’m taking this.” He pointed to the octopus.

Aaron took him home. Spencer felt guilty he hasn’t been with his mother in a while, leaving the nurses to take care of her. They were sat in the car, the silence stretching on more than it needed to, but not uncomfortable. Aaron broke it, “Are you sure you’re alright?”

Spencer looked at him with sincerity, “I will be.”

“Spencer… I hope you know that I don’t expect anything from you. I don’t want you to throw your future away for me, I’ll support anything you do.”

“I know that. I think it’s just time I direct my own path. I want to join the BAU, just not now.”

Aaron nodded and leaned in for a kiss. “Call me tonight?” Spencer hummed his response into the kiss. When he adjusted he felt the plush octopus press into his thigh. “Oh! I almost forgot,” He pulled it out of his jacket pocket and looked down at it, “I use it during therapy. It helps ground me, makes me feel safe. Today Penelope told me to be honest with myself, and you. So I want you to have it,” He looked up at Aaron whose face was indiscernible, “Because I love you.”

All the air left Aaron’s lungs. The breath sucked out of him by three simple words, but words that held the weight of the universe in them. Only Spencer would offer him an octopus as a declaration of love. He loves him too. He undid his seatbelt to lean over the center console so he could say what he was about to say with as much sincerity possible. 

“Spencer,” He huffed out, “Spencer Reid…” He was struggling to get his thoughts together. Spencer looked a bit panicked, he doesn’t want him to be panicked, why is he panicking? What did he do? Suddenly, he was pulled into a ferocious kiss. He griped the back of Spencer’s head and poured his life and soul into the kiss. They pulled away at the same time to speak, 

“You don’t have to say it back-”

“I love you-”

Wide-eyed they stare at each other before dissolving into laughter. “Oh thank god, I thought fucked up-”

“No- God no, baby, I love you-”

“I love you too-”

“Shut up just kiss me-”

The next time they pulled away it was because Spencer couldn’t stop laughing, “Did you call me baby?”

Aaron turned slightly red, “...yeah. Sorry.”

“It’s okay, I like it.” They both smiled. Their foreheads pressed together and Aaron reached for the octopus, “I think I’ll name her Mildred.” 

They were on top of the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> keep in touch @reidology on tumblr! 
> 
> Next chapter may take a while, I'll be busy for the next 3 ish weeks. Also I have been homebound for over a month bc of anxiety so i'm very very tired and sleeping 18 hours a day or not sleeping at all. in the words of spencer reid 'i'm struggling'. my mom is kind of like gideon when it comes to comfort 'it is what it is move on' like yes let me cure myself of depression and anxiety by ✨trying harder✨


	8. And in the end, I'd do it all again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the end but it's just the beginning.  
> Title from The Kids Aren't Alright by Fall Out Boy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy the last chapter!

Falling in love wasn’t as scary as Spencer had initially thought. Taking small steps used to sound like the end of the world, but by pushing himself just a little he ended up discovering a whole new world of wonders. Spencer no longer wanted to be alone, and he was no longer lonely. How could he be with Aaron and Penelope in his life? Not only that, he also met some of Aaron’s friends, the intimidating group of skaters he avoided at the park. They weren’t so intimidating once he got to know them, they were all just as kind and quirky as Aaron.

There was Luke, an amazing skater, and the only one to wear a helmet. Spencer appreciated that and told Aaron to take note. Sometimes Luke would bring his dog, Roxy, who loved to chase the others around. Roxy was also good company when everyone went skating and he was left to read. Luke was also the first one to rush to someone’s aid if they had a gnarly fall, snarling _why weren’t you wearing a helmet!_

Derek looked like he could knock you out with one snap of his fingers, he wouldn’t, but he could. He called Aaron ‘bossman’ for reasons still unknown to Spencer, but he immediately took a liking to him. Derek was so excited to teach the newbie some tricks that Aaron started complaining about hogging his boyfriend. 

Then there was Emily, in all her badass allure, she just exuded confidence. She was definitely the most threatening, but also the most understanding, her kind eyes were enough to make anyone feel at home with her. Right of the bat Spencer knew he could confide in her. Aaron’s friends had all taken him in, he felt like he had a new family. Spencer’s future was open to endless possibilities, he was happy. With Aaron.

It was late in the evening when the two boys found themselves exhausted from a full day of skating. They retreated back to Aaron’s dorm room, settling in for a night of studying. Spencer was sitting comfortably on Aaron’s lap facing the desk, leaning into the comfortable chest behind him, mind lost in a textbook. He’d finished all his work for the next few weeks so he had taken to reading Aaron’s assignments when he could. It was clear by now to Spencer that Aaron was extremely bright and hard-working, he had never truly needed any tutoring or help with his midterms. But Spencer indulged him anyway, writing down practice questions for his boyfriend and at times berating him for losing concentration. Like right now.

“Baby focus, you’re almost done.”

But Aaron was not a multitasker. He could not possibly focus on the work in front of him when his arms were wrapped around his boyfriend’s waist, pale expanse of neck within kissing distance. How could he resist pressing a soft kiss right under Spencer’s ear? And another one, leaning forward, onto his sharp jaw? How was he meant to stop his hands from wandering to thighs, hips, chest? Spencer was asking the impossible of him. The response to his advances was discrepant to say the least.

“Aaronnn… just three more questions come on!” The boy whined while stretching his neck to make more room for debauchery. Aaron chuckled, reattaching his lips to Spencer’s neck, nibbling more eagerly at his pulse, the base of his throat. “Mhm… give me a second, I’m a little busy.” The vibrations of Aaron’s voice sent shivers down Spencer’s spine, already so pliant in his lap. 

Aaron’s hand slid from Spencer’s side to his ever growing bulge, the thrill that the man on top of him had never been touched like this before making him more eager to corrupt him. Spencer let out a breathy moan and absently rutted into his boyfriend’s hand, the sensations of Aaron nipping at his throat and the hand on his groin already too much for him to handle. 

Aaron moved his lips to Spencer’s ear, “Is this okay?” His deep voice resonated throughout the younger’s body. But Spencer couldn’t answer, there was too much going on, the touch, the voice, his racing mind. He had to close his eyes to stay grounded. All he could manage was a helpless whine and a pathetic nod of his head. That wasn’t enough for Aaron. He grabbed Spencer’s hair and maneuvered his head to the side to face him. 

“Open your eyes, Spencer. Look at me.” Spencer did as he was told, meeting Aaron’s blown out pupils, his breath caught in his throat. “I need to hear you say it. Is this okay?” Aaron’s gaze intensified, Spencer cowered a little and swallowed thickly. “Yes.”

“Good.”

He tips Spencer’s head towards his for a searing kiss, locking their lips together. Aaron steadily worked his hand over Spencer’s bulge, causing his legs to slowly open up like an invitation. Aaron continues, unzipping the genius’s pants as he licks into his mouth. He has to lean forward to manage the awkward angle, but once he gets his hand on Spencer’s dick, everything seems to fall into place. Spencer melts back into Aaron’s chest, giving him better access, and Aaron’s grip in his hair loosens to the back of his neck, gently petting in time with his strokes.

Overwhelmed with sensation, Spencer doesn’t know what to do with his hands. His entire body is writhing he can’t manage to stay still and let Aaron work. He ends up gripping the edges of the chair, allowing himself to gently rock back into Aaron’s own erection. A broken grunt escapes the older man, breaking away from Spencer’s lips. He grips his hand tighter around Spencer’s dick, grinding up into Spencer’s ass just as greedily. He looks over at his boyfriend, lust-ridden eyes and all, and mentally catalogues every hitch and breath that comes out of him, committing to memory every detail of the younger’s face. Spencer grinds down harder on every downstroke, holds his breath when Aaron’s calloused thumbs grazes the head of his dick.

Aaron’s other hand comes down to lift Spencer’s shirt, revealing his pale belly and hazel happy trail. They connect again in a wet dirty kiss, Spencer’s whimpers and moans increasing as he gets closer to climax. The feel of Aaron’s skater-rough hands on his soft skin is so intoxicating, the little whispers of encouragement in his ear urge him on. He’s so close he can feel the stars within his reach. When Aaron grumbles, “Cum for me, baby,” he arches back, stiffens, and lets go. He cums all over his stomach and Aaron’s hand, shuddering through it as his boyfriend pets his nape and litters little kisses across his face.

They pull apart, Spencer trying to catch his breath. Aaron takes in the sight before him, the ragged breaths, glistening lips, messy hair, softening dick covered in cum. He was so beautiful, Aaron was so lucky to have this. He sucked Spencer’s lower lip into his mouth, replacing his mouth a moment later with his cum covered hand. He presses his fingers to Spencer’s lips and they open willingly, licking every last bit of himself off. _Good boy,_ he wanted to say, but maybe that was too much for now. God Spencer was the hottest thing ever, he wanted to use him in every way. The genius looked straight at him as he began sucking his fingers into his mouth, hollowing his cheeks. _What a little shit._ That is also when Spencer started grinding down again, back and forth on Aaron’s straining cock, in circles. His mischievous eyes remained trained on Aaron’s desperate ones, licking between his fingers like a preview of things to come. He was going to make Aaron cum without being touched. 

“That’s enough, sweetheart.” Aaron panted, removing his fingers from the younger’s mouth. He went in for a kiss but Spencer pulled away, pouting. In a flurry of motion, Spencer got up off his lap. But before he could complain, Spencer got on his knees and settled between Aaron’s legs. _Oh God._ He leaned forward to mouth at his dick but Aaron stopped him with a hand in his hair. “Spence… you don’t have to do this.”

“Do you want me to?” An enthusiastic nod and tightening grip on his hair is all he needed, and Spencer started undoing his sweatpants.

Pride swelled in his chest as he watched his boyfriend suck him off so perfectly. His lips looked so good wrapped around his cock, like they were made to be there. Spencer’s eyes looked up at him so full of trust and so vulnerable, he knew Aaron would never let anything happen to him. He sucked on the head and cupped at his balls, Aaron couldn’t keep his groans in any longer and he let himself be loud. Spencer hummed his appreciation at hearing Aaron, sending the sweetest vibrations curling into Aaron’s toes. He sucked hard and took him in as deep as he could until his eyes brimmed with tears. One day Aaron was going to fuck that pretty mouth and make him beg for more, but for now he just guided Spencer’s head with his hand and bucked into his mouth as he came in hot strands down his throat and onto his lips. He didn’t think it was possible for Spencer to look more beautiful. Spencer pulled away catching his breath, he smiled sweetly, “Was that okay?”

“You were _perfect_ baby, come here.”

Aaron pulled him back onto his lap and kissed him with everything he had left. He would give this man the universe.

They were both spent, Spencer cuddling into Aaron’s chest and about to doze off.

“Let’s get to bed huh?” Aaron suggested. He picked him up and laid him down on the bed, wrapping his lover up in limbs and comforting warmth, pressing a kiss to his button nose. 

“I love you,” He whispered into Spencer’s hair.

“Mmhm, love you too.”

The next day, Spencer handed in his assignment to Penelope. Five hundred words about how he told Aaron he loves him, about making amends with himself. He could tell she was proud of her because her purple-stained lips never rested. She smiled the whole session, and at the end she asked Spencer a new question. “So what’s next?” 

And Spencer smirked, “I think I’ll take up roller blading.”

**THE END.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you’re wondering why aaron made spencer stop it’s because he is a gentleman and didn’t want spence to think he had to get him off just bc he got spencer off. he is an insecure boy who just wanted to make his boyfriend feel good.
> 
> This is the last chapter! I have to thank everyone who has read this and encouraged me, everyone who has helped me when I’ve been stuck. Thanks so much for sticking around it means the world to me 🥺 This was my first ever chaptered fic and I think I’ve grown and learned a lot about writing. I wouldn’t call myself a writer, but I’m so happy I’ve found this new hobby. There’s a lot I would change about how I wrote this, there are some inconsistencies and some aspects of the story I didn’t develop, but overall I’m proud of myself for finishing this. I never finish anything. 13,000 words is more than I've ever written, it's 30 pages!!! That's so much for me.  
> I’m going to keep this Skater Universe open for anyone who wants to talk about it, and i’ll definitely be writing little drabbles about our favorite skater boys <3
> 
> I'm also very excited for what's coming next, I have a lot of things in the works :D
> 
> find me @reidology on Tumblr <3


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